Jill Morgenthaler

Jill Morgenthaler (March 31, 1954 – February 23, 2019)[1] was the 2008 Democratic nominee for Illinois' 6th congressional district, defeating Stan Jagla in the primary. Morgenthaler was defeated by Peter Roskam, a Wheaton, Illinois Republican, in the November 2008 general election, by a 16% margin (58% to 42%).[2]

Jill Morgenthaler
Born(1954-03-21)March 21, 1954
DiedFebruary 23, 2019(2019-02-23) (aged 64)
Dominican Republic
Service/branchUnited States Army
RankColonel
Other workIllinois politician

Morgenthaler was a retired colonel in the United States Army, where she served for nearly 30 years.[1]

Education

She received a Masters of Strategic Studies from the Army War College, a Masters of Arts in international policy studies from the Monterey Institute of International Studies, and a Bachelor of Arts from Pennsylvania State University.[3]

Military career

She enrolled in the ROTC at Pennsylvania State University, where she was one of ten women in the program who received full scholarships to trailblaze the integration of women into the program.[4][5] She was the first female company commander in the Army Security Agency Group Korea, the first woman battalion commander in the 88th Regional Support Command, and the first woman brigade commander in the 84th Division.[6]

She had served in Korea, Berlin, Bosnia, and Iraq. She handled disaster recovery during the San Francisco earthquake of 1989. In 2004, she handled press duties for the Army in Iraq, including addressing the Abu Ghraib scandal.[7][8][9]

During her military career, she received the Legion of Merit and the Bronze Star.[6][1]

Political career

She was appointed by the Illinois Democratic Governor, Rod Blagojevich, to serve as a homeland security adviser in Illinois.[10] She was the first woman in this role.[4]

In 2008 Morgenthaler ran, as a non-resident of the 6th congressional district after the district line was redrawn by the Republican Party when U.S. Congressman Henry Hyde was in office. Morgenthaler was four blocks outside of the 6th Congressional District and had lived in Des Plaines, Illinois, for 16 years with her husband and two teenage children.[11] The U.S. Constitution requires only that a member, when elected, be "an inhabitant of the state in which he shall be chosen." Illinois does not have a district residency requirement.[12]

Publications
  • The Courage to Take Command: Leadership Lessons from a Military Trailblazer. McGraw Hill, 2015. ISBN 978-0-07-183494-0

Death and legacy

Morgenthaler died on February 23, 2019, in the Dominican Republic when she collapsed after scuba diving.[1]

Military awards

See also

References
  1. "Col. Jill Morgenthaler, Iraq vet, onetime Dem candidate, dies on scuba trip". February 25, 2019.
  2. Morgenthaler concedes to Roskam. Chicago Daily Herald, November 5, 2008.
  3. "Front & Center with John Callaway: Today's National Guard | Pritzker Military Museum & Library | Chicago". Pritzkermilitary.org. September 6, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  4. "The Courage to Take Command: Leadership Lessons from a Military Trailblazer – Jill Morgenthaler". Mcgraw-hill.com.sg. Archived from the original on August 20, 2014. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  5. "Front & Center with John Callaway: Women in the U.S. Military: A Changing Role? | Pritzker Military Museum & Library | Chicago". Pritzkermilitary.org. July 25, 2005. Retrieved August 19, 2014.
  6. Walsh Fong, Colleen (October 5, 2011). "The Colonel Speaks Out on Life After Retirement". Peachtree Corners. Retrieved October 11, 2014.
  7. Likely nominee chided for Abu Ghraib comment Archived February 20, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Josh Kraushaar, Politico, October 30, 2007
  8. , Military.com
  9. Lack of training, stress are blamed in abuse of Iraqis, Tom Bowman, Baltimore Sun, April 30, 2004
  10. Democrats will have primary for chance to unseat Roskam, Marni Pyke, Daily Herald, October 26, 2007
  11. Democrats could run veteran against Roskam again Chicago Tribune. January 30, 2008. Retrieved April 22, 2008
  12. Archived May 8, 2006, at the Wayback Machine The Hill, March 9, 2006
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